Sorting/Houses

[Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 2030

Hi --

Kelley wrote:

> This keeps making me wonder, though, why didn't Hermione get
> sorted into Raven?  Of course she's brave, but if any character is
> considered super-smart, it's her.  She aces everything, the other
> students consider her a brainiac, don't they?  She got McG's help
> getting the time-turner so she could take more classes because she's
> such an exceptional student.  I guess bravery is her dominating
> characteristic?  But, heck, Cho's in Raven, it would be hard to
> believe she's smarter than Hermione.  Maybe intellect is Cho's
> dominant quality.  Is that supposed to be how it works?

I think the Sorting is considerably more complicated than the Sorting
Hat song(s) would suggest.  Everyone has a number of "sides" or
dimensions to their character.  In the case of Hermione, I have several
thoughts.  It's certainly possible that she *asked* to be put in
Gryffindor as well (or, like Harry, asked not to go in Ravenclaw) -- she
said on the Hogwarts Express that she really hoped she made it into
Gryffindor because she'd heard it was the best House.  I don't think Cho
or all the Ravenclaws are necessarily the *smartest* students.  I think
it means that their defining characteristic is reliance on their
intellect to solve problems, approach life, etc.  Hermione does use her
intellect in this manner, but there's obviously alot more to her than
just the intellect.  I personally still love the twist that Lori puts on
this in PoU -- she thinks that the intellectual pursuits aren't, in the
final analysis, *enough* for Hermione, who also enjoys the daring
escapades that she gets into with Harry & Ron in the books.  She has
Harry tell Hermione that perhaps the Sorting Hat purposefully put her in
Gryffindor so she would eventually recognize that side of her
personality.

As for the Marauders & Lily -- I also don't think we know enough about
them yet.  It's fun to guess, but I'm wagering it's not as simple as
picking the defining characteristic that we know about their personality
& sorting them into the appropriate House ourselves.  We haven't as yet
seen much in the way of inter-House friendships so . . . . .all in all,
I'd still guess that they were all in the same House.  Since James &
Lily were both Head Boy & Head Girl, they must have both been prefects.
So, I think it's utterly plausible that Lily was in a different House
than the Marauders & that she got to know James as they were both
prefects.  I must say I do see some merit in the Lily could have been in
Slytherin arguments -- it does explain the Snape was in love with Lily
theory, the fact that Lily was seemingly not part of the Marauders'
exploits, etc.  But, she could also have been in any of the other 3
houses just as easily.

Penny



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